


Love Bites

by ladymacbethsspot



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Explicit Sexual Content, Grief, History Teacher Erwin Smith, Janitor Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Levi does not bone any zombies, M/M, Pining, Teacher Erwin Smith, Zombies, by the way, high school caste AU, just to be clear, this ain't your average zombie movie, zombie!erwin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:22:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28962381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladymacbethsspot/pseuds/ladymacbethsspot
Summary: As a lowly janitor Levi thinks his crush on the handsomest history teacher in the high school will never go anywhere. He friend-zoned himself years ago and tells himself he's comfortable like that- really.But when an outbreak of something strange hits the school and Erwin gets sick, everything changes.
Relationships: Levi/Erwin Smith
Comments: 31
Kudos: 128





	1. Monday

**Author's Note:**

> Loosely inspired by Isayama's High School Caste AU. Except this deals with a lot of things the zombie movies tend to leave out...
> 
> A little different from the kind of fics I usually write, but I couldn't get these things out of my head so here we are.

Sunrises were coming back in season. That’s what Levi told himself, at least. It was a way to think about the shortening days, about the coming winter, that didn’t make him dread it. Instead of waking him up and demanding his attention, the October sun waited. It waited until he got out of bed. It waited until after that first cup of fragrant black tea woke him up. It waited until he’d already driven to work, until he’d organized and taken the weekly stock of his supplies, and until he’d checked the bathrooms one last time just to be sure they were sparkling clean. Only when he wandered out the back exit at the far side of the school did it begin to creep sluggishly above the horizon.

Levi watched it, beyond the parking lot and the tennis court, the lightness gathering above the trees. Resting his back against the brick, he shivered. It was getting cold. The season’s change had snuck up on him. He’d forgotten it somehow with the start of the school year, the training of new members of the cleaning staff, the daily routine of tasks that stole his attention away from anything beyond their repetition.

“Is that Levi?” He heard a deep voice come from just around the corner- the back of the building.

“Huh? Yeah. It’s me,” Levi answered flatly.

“Well, good morning then. I didn’t hear you come out. You’re much too quiet.”

“I’m not staying anyway. It’s cold,” Levi answered, crossing his arms over his chest and pointedly ignoring the man who had called to him. He would recognize that voice anywhere. It was Erwin Smith. He was a teacher- world history, and he’d been at the high school long before Levi started work there. On top of that, Erwin smith was - a bit of a problem. It was nothing to do with his personality or his work style. They’d never clashed over anything more serious than the cookies Erwin occasionally left in his desk and Levi swore would lead to an ant infestation. No, in fact the problem with Mr. Smith was exactly the opposite.

“But the sunrise is beautiful this morning, Levi,” Erwin protested, stepping around the corner and into view. He was a tall man- much taller than Levi, and as he stepped close Levi became acutely aware of his presence. Tall, blond, intelligent, and handsome, Erwin felt larger than life even at a distance, and now that he was standing just a foot away the effect was magnified. “Here, take my jacket,” Erwin insisted. “Stay a bit. Sunlight’s supposed to be good for your sleep, and there’s less and less of it this time of year. Enjoying it won’t keep you from your work long.” Erwin stood, barely out of reach, holding out a brown sport jacket and offering it until Levi shrugged and snatched it from his hand. Pushing away from the wall he slid his arms through the long sleeves, trying and failing to ignore the tantalizing scent of cologne as it settled on his shoulders. 

That was the real problem with Erwin Smith.

He was perfect.

The man gave him an easy smile, clear and bright as sun shining on water. “I guess it’s a bit big,” he admitted. “But it’s better than nothing.” Levi’s nod was terse. The jacket was warm; he could feel it. Heat from Erwin’s body still clung to its silky lining. He tried not to think about it, about how tall and broad a body the jacket was made to fit, about how good Erwin looked wearing it. “Come see,” Erwin urged, waving him around the corner of the building as though he had some wonderful secret to share, and Levi let out a sigh as he followed. He didn’t need to guess to know that it wasn’t the sunrise Erwin wanted to show him, but the man’s enthusiasm was catching.

In a gap between the bushes at the school building’s side, on a patch of bare, red mulch, there sat a plain paper plate with a can of Fancy Feast dumped onto its center. Two cats bent over it. They nibbled at the food, their heads dipping down, the plate shifting, rustling softly in the mulch as they ate. Levi shook his head. Typical. Erwin was feeding the strays again. He recognized the black cat, a small, stringy thing with a crick in its tail. The other one was a big, orange tabby. He’d probably seen him before- it was hard to keep track. As many times as he’d told Erwin not to feed the neighborhood cats, that it attracted mice and rodents, and that he’d be the one calling the exterminator or setting out traps himself if there wasn’t budget for it- Erwin still did it. He couldn’t help it.

Levi hung back as Erwin walked over to the cats. Part of his mind rationalized it- they were probably dirty, probably had ticks and fleas, but the other part knew the truth: Levi preferred to watch. It was something special, seeing Erwin feeding his little band of cats. Levi was sure it was a secret. He’d only ever seen Erwin do it in the morning, when no one but the two of them were around. It made it feel like _their_ secret, some special knowledge Erwin trusted him with, and Levi couldn’t deny its attraction. And though Levi had originally pictured Erwin as more of a dog kind of guy, he was surprisingly gentle with his strays. Their matted fur and skittish ways never bothered him. He let them wind around his ankles, greeting him with tails that dragged against his pant leg and soft mewls as they looked briefly up at him before getting back to their food. Joining them by the paper plate, Erwin crouched down, watching them eat, close enough for the black cat to butt and knead its head against his khaki slacks between bites. As Levi watched, his expression softened. Though he didn’t want to admit it, the sight was one he couldn’t resist.

It was cute, and a bit sweet. Erwin was a big man, and seeing his knees bent all the way, practically sitting on the ground to be at the same levels as he watched his cats enjoy their breakfast, was almost too much. His head was bent, turned avidly toward his feline friends. It gave Levi a view of his face he didn’t usually see- one from above- and Levi couldn’t help but appreciate the regal line of Erwin’s nose, his high cheekbones, and the perfectly straight part in his golden-blond hair. Clean-cut and well-groomed, Erwin always looked handsome, if somewhat overdressed. Crouching down to coo and whisper to the cats, he looked irresistible. His white button-down shirt fit perfectly across wide shoulders, and the tie he wore tucked beneath his brown waistcoat matched the deep blue of his eyes. Everything Erwin wore was good quality and fit perfectly. His ties, slacks, and jackets all suited him, like they had been tailored exactly to his measurements.

And what measurements they were, Levi found himself musing distractedly for the millionth time, his eyes drawn to the fabric stretched tight across Erwin’s thighs, barely concealing muscles that bulged underneath. “Oh, that’s good, you’re hungry, aren’t you, Sooty?” Erwin murmured, holding his hand out for the black cat to sniff and stroking its cheeks. It meowed, closing its eyes happily and leaning into his hand before lowering its head to take dainty bites of the food. “It’s getting colder, you’d better put on a few extra pounds,” Erwin cautioned the black cat, eyeing its bony hips. “I don’t want to see you skipping meals.” He turned to the other cat and held out a large hand.

“Psspspsps,” Erwin whispered, calling the orange cat closer. It padded up, bold but sensible, and inspected his hand for a long moment before rubbing happily into it. Thick fingers stroked its fur as Erwin petted it, and the tabby’s low, rhythmic purr reached Levi’s ears. Levi found himself responding to it, the soothing tone relaxing, and when Erwin’s hand stroked all the way down the tabby’s back a sympathetic quiver travelled down Levi’s own spine. Oh, what he wouldn’t give- Levi frowned, chiding himself. It was stupid to be jealous of a cat. With a quiet huff, he looked away. He was supposed to be enjoying the sunrise. He _liked_ getting to school early. This was _his time_.

A stirring of evergreen leaves in the bushes made Levi’s body tense and his head turn toward the noise. Something was shaking them, probably another cat, he decided as he let the knot loosen from his shoulders. The shaking continued, close to the ground, approaching the plate of food, and Levi wondered which of the half-dozen or so cats would join them. But the pink nose and long snout that poked out of the bush, followed by a round, grey body made him pause.

“What’s with that fucked up cat?”

“Cat?” Erwin asked, confusion obvious in his tone until he looked over. “Oh, I didn’t see you there,” he chuckled. “How’s it going, stranger? Wait…” Erwin trailed off, as Levi squinted at the new animal. It waddled over to the food as the cats paused, their backs and tails rising, wound tight with unease. “That’s not a cat, Levi,” Erwin stated, his voice warm with a chuckle. Levi nodded reluctantly. He was right. Next to the two cats it seemed obvious enough to make Levi feel like a fool. The animal that had come from under the bushes was too large, too round to be a cat. It was also the wrong shape, with short legs, rough wiry fur, and a face too pointed for a feline.

“Then what the hell is it…” Levi wondered. As he spoke the creature opened its mouth wide, much wider than he’d expected. Revulsion caught in his throat- the animal’s gums were bright red its mouth lined with tiny, wicked teeth. It looked intimidating and gross - but then it just stood there. It didn’t move closer to the food, didn’t try to chase the cats or Erwin. Instead it puffed its body up and waited, huge mouth open, daring them all to move. Levi stared at it. Even its long, rat-like tail was still. Erwin stared too, more curious than disgusted. Before either of them could think of what to do about the strange animal, the black cat moved. Breaking the stalemate it swiped a clawed paw at the intruder, and the thing lunged, hissing a throaty growl. Both cats sprang back, scattering quickly.

“Hey, what’s this about?” Erwin scolded, standing up. He craned his neck, looking after the cats who had run away as quickly as they’d come. “Shoot.” Turning back to look down at the paper plate, Erwin brought a hand up to stroke his chin. The weird grey animal had stopped hissing. It sauntered over to the paper plate like it owned the place, ignoring them as it tucked in to what remained of the meal. Chasing bits of meat and sauce around the paper, it ate messily, smacking its lips as it chewed. Its pink tongue, the red insides of its mouth, and so many tiny, pointed teeth made Levi uneasy. He couldn’t stop staring at them as he watched the ugly animal eat. Seeing it use a paw to push a chunk of meat into its mouth, thin digits topped with sharp claws spreading almost as articulate as hands, Levi held back a gag.

“Ugh, what is that thing?”

“It’s an opossum,” Erwin stated.

“A- what?”

“An opossum,” Erwin repeated, adding, “I haven’t seen one around in a while though.”

“Good riddance. There’s no way you’re supposed to be feeding that nasty rat thing,” Levi complained.

“You know, despite the tail they’re actually not rodents- they’re marsupials,” Erwin corrected, his patient, even tone infuriating. Of course they’re marsupials, Levi thought to himself as he tried not to roll his eyes. That wasn’t the point. It didn’t matter what the weird animal was to him- it was wild. For a smart man, Erwin could be frustratingly oblivious. You weren’t supposed to feed wild animals like they were just some cute pet. It was dangerous, and stupid. The stray cats were one thing, but this was another entirely.

“Rat. Opossum. Whatever. You shouldn’t be feeding that thing,” Levi grumbled.

“Oh, come on, Levi,” Erwin chided. “It’s obviously hungry. Besides, I’ve never seen one up close like this.” He bent back down, just as he had with the cats, leaning closer and holding his hand out to the strange, ravenous opossum as it gobbled up the last of the wet food. When it finished it stopped, and looked up, finally registering his presence. Beady black eyes stared at both of them. Its mouth opened, an awful, gravelly hiss choking from it. “See? You’re not so scary,” Erwin crooned, his hand hovering closer. Moving slowly, pausing when the opossum spit out a growl, then continuing to close the distance, Levi held his breath as he watched Erwin trying to pet the angry creature. Just as Erwin’s fingers brushed the fur between the opossum’s ears, it darted to the side and out of reach. Faster than Levi had thought the fat thing could move, it jerked its head up, and that open, red mouth closed on skin.

The opossum bit down on the meat of Erwin’s hand, right between his thumb and pointer finger. He yelped, shaking his wrist to free himself. But the sudden motion had the opposite effect. Needle-sharp teeth locked down, and Erwin cried out, the animal’s jaw locking on him. In a rush Erwin stood, and Levi surged forward. Without sparing a second for thought Levi grabbed the first thing his fingers found, a flashlight hooked to his belt. Erwin flailed, his waving arm bouncing the animal in the air as it held tight to his hand. Levi swung the flashlight. It connected, smacking blindly against the mass of fur. The momentary impact was more than he’d expected, the opossum’s body surprisingly solid. With a bloodcurdling screech the animal let go and dropped, a ball of grey-black fury. Screaming and hissing, it scrabbled in the mulch. Kicking up a spray of wood chips in its wake, it raced behind the bushes before Levi could land another blow. The rustling of leaves and snapping of branches as it retreated only distracted Levi for a second.

“Shit!” he cursed. “That little turd bit you! You’re bleeding!” Levi grabbed at Erwin’s wrist, dropping the flashlight and tugging the sleeve of his shirt back from his wounded hand. “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay- I’m okay. It’s fine Levi,” Erwin reassured him. Levi ignored him, instead digging into the pockets of his jumpsuit with his free hand. From his back pocket he pulled a clean rag. He worked fast, wrapping it around Erwin’s hand, pressing down to stop the blood. A tight knot was enough to hold it in place. Looking at the makeshift bandage, Levi felt a momentary pang of guilt for having used a rag, even if it was a clean one- but it would have to do. It would have to, he thought, his hands still shaking as he fiddled with the knot, stilling only when Erwin’s covered them. He looked up as Erwin spoke. “Really, Levi, I’m fine.”

Blue eyes met his, and after a split second of blankness emptied his mind of thought, Levi searched them. There were no hints of lingering discomfort or pain in Erwin’s sincere gaze, no tightness in his jaw, and the slight lift to his thick brows had Levi fighting back a frown. The man looked more amused than relieved, and Levi saw now that his overreaction was probably the cause. “Right. Fine,” he grumbled, dropping Erwin’s hand and turning away. He shrugged the over-sized jacket off and handed it back to the man, raising an eyebrow when Erwin gave him a questioning look. “Take it. I’m going in. The kids will be here soon anyway, and I’ve already got one extra mess to clean.”

“Oh?” Erwin asked, accepting his jacket once again.

Levi nodded to the stained paper plate and scattered cat food on the ground and Erwin ducked his head apologetically, bringing up a hand in a reflexive motion to brush his blond bangs back from his forehead. “Sorry about that,” he offered as Levi stepped around him and knelt, picking the paper plate off the ground. “I can help-”

“No. Go inside. You’ve still got time to see the nurse before homeroom,” Levi assured him.

“Ah, that’s a good idea. I probably should get this disinfected.”

“You better,” Levi grumbled, using a shard of mulch to flick what he could of the wet food back onto the plate. It had already been an eventful day and the first bell hadn’t even rung. Levi pursed his lips, frowning at the mess the opossum had made. He would never get all the cat food out of the mulch, and- was that Erwin’s blood in the grass? Levi shook his head. First it was feeding the cats. That was bad enough, but this? That gross thing had barged in and ruined everything- chasing away Erwin’s strays, stealing their food, and then having the audacity to bite the man. As he tried his best to tidy the spot, Levi kept replaying it in his head, the opossum’s grotesque mouth closing on Erwin’s hand, the sickening feeling of his flashlight hitting its body, the blood welling and oozing from its ragged bite. He should have stopped Erwin, should have said something or done something as soon as he’d seen the animal. He should have, but he didn’t, and it was all because Erwin was so- so- fuck.

As Levi finally stood and wiped a sneaker across the damp grass in a half-hearted effort to smudge the blood into the ground, he heard Erwin’s footsteps, and felt his neck flush with the realization that the other man had been watching the whole time. Thankfully the sounds of footfalls continued unbroken. Erwin walked to the back door and opened it with a creak.

“See you later, Levi.”

“Later,” Levi agreed, keeping his gaze trained on the ground, the paper plate full of wasted cat food crumpled in his fist.

With a bang the back door fell shut.

Erwin was gone.

* * *

‘Later’ meant lunchtime. They didn’t always eat together, but if the weather was good Levi did always walk out to the bleachers by the old track around noon, and he did always sit on the same narrow, metal bench halfway up. He didn’t want to eat in his janitor’s closet- the idea of mixing industrial cleaners and food wasn’t one he could stomach, and Levi had never even tried to join the teachers in their lounge or the kids in the cafeteria. He would have felt weird in either place, anyway. Instead he preferred the quiet of the seldom-used field, and the brief outdoor break. Sometimes Hanji joined him, and his new recruits Oulo and Petra had eaten there a few times as well, but for the most part Levi was left to his own devices for lunch. Unless Erwin showed up- which he did a few times a week.

Levi wasn’t surprised when a familiar, deep voice called out.

“Levi!” Erwin greeted him, his head of perfectly combed blond hair bobbing into sight as he rounded the bleachers. “I thought I’d find you here.”

“Yeah. I’m only here every day,” Levi responded, his eyes narrowing when he saw the tall cup of coffee and the paper bag with pink and orange print clutched in Erwin’s bandaged hand. Junk food garbage. Levi shook his head. How a man could consume so many empty calories of refined carbs and fat and still be as fit as Erwin was beyond him.

“I bought you a donut,” Erwin continued, completely unfazed. He strode up the bleacher steps, taking them two at a time, and sat down on the bench across the aisle from Levi.

“Don’t want it.”

“It’s a cruller,” Erwin continued, digging into the paper bag and pulling out a golden donut.

“I told you I don’t want it,” Levi insisted, adding, “those things are too sweet.”

“Ah, too bad,” Erwin shrugged, taking a bite out of the donut he’d just offered Levi and chewing thoughtfully. “I guess I’ll just have to eat both, then,” he mused, looking like he wasn’t too upset with the turn of events. Levi sighed as he watched Erwin finish the pastry in three bites, licking sticky glaze from his fingertips. It couldn’t be good for Erwin to eat like that every day, but Mr. Smith was a grown-ass man and it wasn’t really his business.

“I can’t believe you eat that crap,” he grumbled anyway, turning to his own lunch. It was the same as it was every day- a turkey sandwich on rye with mustard and extra lettuce. He’d already eaten the sliced pepper he’d brought earlier, and there was an apple for dessert, but it wasn’t exactly an exciting meal. Not that it mattered. It was cheap, and easy to put together, and it’s not like he had anyone to impress with it anyway. Levi took a bite of his sandwich while Erwin washed the donut down with hot coffee, and tried his best not to feel as boring as his lunch.

“You’re sure you don’t want one?” Erwin urged him again as the second donut came out of the bag. He waved it at Levi. “This one’s sour cream. I got it for myself, but I have a breakfast sandwich in here too, and you’ll be saving me an extra hour at the gym tonight.”

“An extra hour?” Levi wondered, turning from staring moodily at the line of trees across the field to look over at Erwin.

“Of course. Today’s leg day, but if I eat both these donuts I could probably stand to do some swimming too, and that adds plenty of time. Getting changed, showering before and after, it all adds up.”

“Huh,” Levi grunted, immediately trying to picture Erwin in his swim suit and regretting it when he succeeded. He’d look incredible. Bare chested- Levi could just imagine it- his biceps, his calves, his pectorals all glistening as he climbed out of the pool, a thicket of damp, blond hair matted to his chest and legs. Levi frowned, forcing himself not to question whether Erwin preferred to wear trunks or a speedo in the pool as he stuffed a bite of turkey into his mouth to keep himself from groaning. “Makes sense,” he muttered, “that you’d spend so much time at the gym. Not sure I’d really be doing you much of a favor though, eating that donut. Sounds almost like you want to go.”

“Ah haha, I guess you caught me,” Erwin said, a smug grin turning up the corners of his mouth as he bit into the second donut. “I thought I’d go for a swim tonight anyway,” he admitted.

All Levi could do was shake his head. Erwin didn’t try to foist any of the greasy breakfast sandwich on him, and Levi was able to finish his own in peace. When he’d chewed the last bite he sat back, leaning on the row of seats above and draping his arms back over them.

“You could join me at the gym,” Erwin suggested, still working on his food. He’d slowed down enough for conversation, taking regular sips of coffee.

“Nah,” Levi shrugged.

“I know you work out though,” Erwin wheedled.

“I guess,” Levi answered noncommittally, doing his best to look uninterested. This was worse than usual. Usually when Erwin talked he just listened. Whether it was about how his day was going, how his weekend had been, or some lecture on an interesting bit of history he’d read recently or gone over in class, Erwin could more than carry their conversations by himself. Usually the occasional grunt and nod was enough, their discussions one-sided in a way Levi found comfortable. But this was more difficult- first the donut and now the invitation to join him at the gym. They were things Levi would love to agree to. That’s what made it so hard. “I, uh, like boxing.” Levi finally offered, well after he’d let the silence stretch too long. It seemed like a safe answer- he wasn’t avoiding Erwin _exactly_ , he was just suggesting an activity people didn’t normally do together.

“Really?” Erwin asked, and the curious surprise in his blue eyes made Levi cringe inwardly. “Interesting. I shouldn’t be surprised, but-” Levi braced himself. He shouldn’t have said anything. Everyone he told about his fighting hobby always gave him the same bullshit about his height. He shouldn’t have brought it up at all. “Actually, I can see it. You’ve definitely got the upper body strength. I’ll bet you’re fast. You know, Levi, I don’t think I’ve met anyone who boxed. Guess I hadn’t considered it,” Erwin continued, as Levi’s anxiety turned into mild bewilderment. Erwin hadn’t brushed his hobby aside. And the comment about his strength- it was enough to make his neck grow hot. He looked away, staring out over the track, struggling to process the exchange and hoping Erwin wouldn’t notice his discomfort. Luckily Erwin breezed past it, already moving on to comment on the weather.

It was as though they’d reset, and for Levi that was both good and bad. Good, because he knew what to expect. Erwin was back in his small-talk zone, chatting away like nothing had happened. And it was also bad, because Levi was back to his usual morose mood. He never felt like he had anything interesting to say, and Erwin’s comments had thrown him off. Going to the gym - what had Erwin meant? Levi didn’t know, wasn’t sure what to think- especially after the man had responded positively about his hobby. Levi sighed quietly, only half-listening as Erwin spoke. He’d never catch up like this. He wasn’t much for talking, certainly not when he compared his abrupt statements to the charming flow of conversation that Erwin effortlessly carried. Today was particularly bad. It was harder to focus when the strange morning had already interrupted Levi’s routine. The bandage wrapped around Erwin’s hand was a reminder. It kept distracting him.

Levi had to will himself not to stare at it. Instead he looked out over the track. Erwin was fine. His hand was fine. He had eaten the same takeout garbage and had drunk too much coffee as usual, was talking up a storm as usual, was just as friendly and handsome and much kinder than Levi deserved- as usual. The filthy, gross creature with its naked tail and nasty teeth didn’t matter, Levi told himself. 

He traced the white lines painted on the track with his gaze, hoping it would keep him from overthinking. They were jagged things, hardly straight at all. Cracks in the faded blacktop and chunks of paving at odd angles broke apart their order. In a few places stringy tufts of grass going to seed poked up through the asphalt. The old track wasn’t used often and it showed. The bleachers where they sat were still the same stark aluminum ones built forty years ago, when people were smaller and didn’t mind freezing their asses off on hard metal seats. Scraggly patches of crab grass and opportunistic weeds dotted the turf in the center of the track. Levi shivered, the cool metal bleachers beginning to reach him even through his coveralls.

“…you know it’s supposed to storm in a few days…” Erwin’s voice floated through the haze of Levi’s deliberate half-attention. He grunted a reply. It must have been good enough for Erwin because the other man didn’t even break his stride, pausing only to sip at his coffee before he continuing. Levi listened, focusing more on the low, warm tones of Erwin’s voice than the words themselves, as he reached automatically into his lunch bag and fished out his apple. He rubbed it on the leg of his jumpsuit until the blushed-red skin shone, and took a tangy, crisp bite as he breathed in autumn air.

Even with the unsettling start to the day, it didn’t get much better than this: sitting on the bleachers, enjoying lunch, the faint, loamy scent of leaves taking the chill bite out of the air. For a moment Levi felt content. Content like this, where he was- sitting on the sidelines- watching, listening. He could appreciate the colors of the turning trees, their quiet beauty as they wept leaves onto the grass. He could enjoy Erwin’s company. Close but not too close, the few feet of the aisle between them enforcing their distance.

It was as good as Levi could ever hope for.

When Erwin finished his coffee and stood, Levi felt a brief, dull pang in his chest. He lifted himself off the bench reluctantly, knowing full well that their time together was over. He had to get back to cleaning the locker room bathrooms, and Erwin’s next class period began soon. They each had a job to do. Already resigning himself to it, Levi watched Erwin’s broad back as he descended the stairs.

The other man had only taken a few steps when his carriage abruptly changed. A jerk of his body was accompanied by a hollow bang- a startled, “Wha-?” sounded in Levi’s ears as Erwin’s leather shoe missed a step. Skipping past the edge, his leg flew out. Erwin slipped, falling.

Levi lunged for his jacket. Too late. Wool brushed past his fingers. He fumbled. With a clatter and a thump Erwin went down hard on his ass, as he tried to throw an arm out to the side for balance. It banged uselessly on the bleachers instead. Levi swore, tripping down the steps, making grabs at the air as Erwin slid.

In a last-ditch effort Levi dove, catching Erwin around his waist. He reached out, grabbing onto a bench with one hand. Stretched between two points, his muscles strained, shoulders and arms pulling against gravity and Erwin’s weight. Clinging to the metal, he dig his fingers into Erwin’s waistcoat. Levi’s teeth ground with the effort of keeping his grip. But it held. Both their motion ground to a halt. Still strung out between the bleachers and Erwin, Levi exhaled. His locked-tight fingers relaxed. His breath heavy, heart slowing in his chest, Levi gathered himself.

He stood slowly, picking his way down the benches until he stood below Erwin on the steps. “Need a hand?” he asked, holding one out to the other man. Erwin looked up at him, and Levi blinked. His face was pale, drained of all color. His forehead looked damp.

“Ah, yes, thank you…” Erwin trailed off weakly, gazing side to side before his eyes fixed back on Levi. They slid away just as quickly, as Levi’s own eyes narrowed. He didn’t look good. “Thanks,” Erwin mumbled again, taking Levi’s hand. His palm felt clammy. Giving it a rough squeeze, Levi pulled his friend up, gritting his teeth as he strained. Erwin took his hand, but it was like the other man wasn’t trying at all, while Levi heaved his full weight upward. And when he finally stood, Levi found his hands lingering on him, his companion’s wavering balance unsettling. Erwin had been fine minutes earlier. But now-

“Hey, what happened? You okay, Erwin?” he asked.

“Okay? Yes. I’m- I’m fine.” Erwin reassured him, but his voice sounded distracted, far away. As Levi puzzled over it, trying to figure out when Erwin had started acting strange, and whether there were signs he had missed, the other man shrugged. “Levi, I’m fine,” he repeated. He sounded more solid, more normal, and Levi looked up.

His hand still lay flat in the middle of Erwin’s chest.

Clear, blue eyes met his.

Immediately self-conscious, he pulled away, as though burnt by the intensity.

“R-right,” Levi stuttered, turning his back and jamming his hands into his pockets. He didn’t look at Erwin- couldn’t look at Erwin, not after touching him like that.

“Well, I’ve got to get going,” Erwin excused himself, as though nothing had happened. “I think this is yours,” he said as he brushed past and Levi shivered.

“What? Oh.” Levi eyed the blue lunch bag in Erwin’s hand for a moment, then took it, careful not to let their fingers touch. “Right.”

“Oh, and Levi. Thanks again.” Erwin smiled, clapping his bandaged hand to Levi’s shoulder.

“Sure thing,” Levi responded, trying to force his brows not to pinch together, and his jaw not to clench, even as his eyes flicked from the bandaged hand to Erwin’s face, catching the split second that Erwin’s smile hardened to cover a wince.

* * *

By the time the last bell sounded Levi was even more ready than usual to hide in his supply closet, door closed and locked, while students rushed from their classes. Glimpses of sneakers and shoes flashed under the door, lockers banging down the hallways in either direction. Levi winced at the noise- the din of kids collecting their things, slamming locker doors, talking and shouting as they hurried to wherever they were going. Most would go home, thankfully, and he would finally be almost rid of this terrible day.

Some dumbass had clogged a toilet in the women’s room by the nurse, probably flushing something they shouldn’t have, and he’d spent the better part of the afternoon mopping and sanitizing every last bit of porcelain and tile. On top of that, when he’d finished he’d nearly been run over by a horse-faced boy escorting a freckled kid to the nurse. The one with the freckles had looked pale and sweaty, almost green, and Levi had to do his best not to beat them both away with his mop when the boy gagged and clapped a hand over his mouth, his cheeks filling.

They’d ducked into the nurse’s and Levi heard the sick kid retch into the trash. The sound alone made him feel dirty, but he did his best to ignore it, instead dragging his mopping bucket down the hall as he stalked off to find Oulo in the Math wing. It was his turn to deal with the mess- a valuable learning experience, and besides, Levi had already taken care of one cleaning emergency.

It hadn’t been the worst Monday he could remember, that had been a few years ago when the reticulated python some idiot in the drama club had been keeping as a pet backstage in the auditorium had gotten loose. But it wasn’t a relaxing day either in Levi’s book, and running into the freckled student with the vacant look in the hall had awakened a sense of unease he couldn’t shake. It had reminded him too much of Erwin, how disoriented he’d looked after his fall on the bleachers. His coloring drained. His skin sallow.

Levi scowled at the space under the closed door of his closet, his arms crossed over his chest as he waited for the footfalls outside to die down. It was probably a coincidence. Kids got sick every day. He knew that, he’d gotten used to cleaning up all kinds of shit, after all. But Levi couldn’t let it go. It didn’t sit right. When the noise outside his door faded from a din to the occasional bang followed by a lonely patter, he eased the door open and ventured out into the halls.

There were still a few more hours’ worth of duties to take care of, but Levi knew he wouldn’t be able to focus on them until he’d put this matter to rest. He strode down the hall with purpose, turning the corner to the left and making his way past the classrooms of the History wing. Erwin’s was at the very end, closest to the back door and the parking lot. He walked quickly, in a straight line down the center of the hall, ignoring a few stragglers still messing with their lockers. A pair of chatting girls shied out of his way, a tall brown-haired one pulling a tiny blonde out of his path and shooting him a glare that he returned icily. She looked away first, just like they all did, Levi thought, as the tall girl’s companion drew close, hiding her face as she clung to her friend. Levi hurried past. 

Reaching the open door to Mr. Smith’s classroom, he stepped in, head already turning as he looked for the man he sought. The room was empty. No one sat at the desks, arranged in a double-rowed semi-circle around the center of the room. Even Erwin’s desk, tucked back in the corner, was unoccupied. Levi stood by the doorway, going over it again, taking a few steps into the room to be sure there was no one standing in the far corner. Had Erwin Smith left already? Had he gone home early? Levi noted the pile of stapled essays on the man’s desk and the leather shoulder bag sitting open on his seat. He couldn’t have left, Levi decided, even as he heard heavy footsteps behind him.

“What are you doing he-”

“None of your damn business,” Levi cut the speaker off and whipped around, stopping short when he realized it was Erwin. He hadn’t recognized the man’s voice. It had sounded shaky, weak- and now, looking at Erwin’s face, he could guess why. The man was a mess. His perfect blond hair was damp, matted to his forehead, his usually sharp blue eyes unfocused and listless. All the color had fled from his skin and collected high in his cheeks, flushing them a burning shade of red. Leaning one arm on the doorframe for support, Levi could tell that Erwin was struggling to stand. 

“Are you- okay?” Levi asked, stepping forward. Erwin blinked, and wobbled. “Jesus, you look like shit,” Levi muttered, still taking in the changes in Erwin’s countenance. Before he could offer to help, or even stop him, Erwin lurched forward. On unsteady legs he shuffled toward his desk, brushing away Levi’s concern.

“I’m fine. Just fine. Levi, I know you have… a lot to do,” he trailed off, pausing in his journey as though he’d forgotten why he started it. “After-school… activities… will be starting soon…” he commented vaguely, casting around the room distractedly for a moment as Levi watched with a growing sense of dread. Erwin’s earlier fall no longer seemed like a fluke. Something was wrong. Erwin was very sick. He hardly knew where he was, could barely figure out what he’d been doing, that much was obvious, and Levi couldn’t just stand back and let him go on like this. He could collapse- he’d already fallen once. As Levi watched he shuffled to his desk and reached for the students’ papers, bumping half the stack onto the floor with a clumsy wave of his bandaged hand. Levi frowned.

“You should go home, Erwin,” he urged.

“Huh? What? Why?” Erwin looked at him briefly, then back at the papers strewn across his desk and the floor, as though he hadn’t heard or seen Levi at all.

“You’re sick,” Levi tried again, more forcefully this time. “Go home. Now. None of these helicopter parents want you getting their precious babies sick and I don’t want to be the one stuck cleaning up your mess.”

“Mess? But I- today is Monday,” Erwin stated.

“So?” Levi raised an eyebrow, his face hardening with his resolve.

“So- what about debate club?”

“What about _debate club?_ ” Levi hissed. “What about _debate club?_ ” he repeated, advancing on Erwin. “Who gives a fuck about debate club when its advisor can barely stand?” he growled, shoving Erwin away from his desk and grabbing the papers from his hand. Drawing himself up to his full 5’3” and squaring his shoulders, Levi lifted his chin defiantly as he forced the much larger man against the wall. “How exactly, are you planning on having a meeting of your stupid debate club when you’ve got a fever so bad you can’t even string together a coherent sentence?” he accused, waving the essays menacingly in Erwin’s face. “It’s already settled, _Mr. Smith._ You’re _sick_ and you’re going _home_. And you’re doing it _now_. No debate club. And no gym,” he stated through clenched teeth, his voice getting louder with each word.

“A-alright, Levi,” Erwin agreed, his hands coming up as he tried to ease Levi back. “You’re right. You’ve convinced me already.”

“Oh yeah?” Levi narrowed his eyes.

“…yeah,” Erwin said, his voice clear enough for Levi to relax somewhat, his heels touching down to the floor as he took a step back.

“Good,” was all he said as he thrust the papers in his hand into Erwin’s chest, before bending down to retrieve the rest from the floor. He busied himself collecting them, unwilling or unable to look up at the other man. When he’d made a neat stack, every essay face-up with their stapled corners aligned at the top left, he stood. Without looking at Erwin he slapped the stack on his desk and strode from the room.

As he stepped into the hall a boy bumped by his shoulder.

“Watch where you’re going, brat,” he snapped at the terrified teen with the messy bowl-cut.

“Sorry?” the teenager stammered as he shrank behind the stack of books he carried. He ducked around Levi, heading for the classroom. Levi’s arm shot out and grabbed the boy’s shoulder. He recognized the kid- had seen him around Smith’s classroom before.

“Hey. Where are you going?”

“I, uh, have debate club?” The boy said, his voice choking up high as Levi frowned at him. Debate club- that explained it.

“Not today you don’t,” Levi snarled.

“But it _is_ today. It’s- every Monday,” the boy protested.

“Debate club is cancelled, Armin Arlert,” Levi deadpanned, watching the boy flinch when he heard his name spoken.

“But-”

“Did I stutter?” Levi whispered slowly, spacing each word with deathly precision as his grip on the boy’s shoulder tightened.

“Debate club is cancelled!” Armin squeaked, worming out of his grasp. “Cancelled- and I’m going home now!” he exclaimed in a rush, hugging his books tight to his chest as he jogged down the hall.

Levi watched him go, only letting out a long sigh when he rounded the corner.

“Levi, you didn’t have to be mean to Armin,” a deep voice said gently from behind him, and Levi turned to see Erwin give him a tired-looking frown. Levi’s anger deflated somewhat. Erwin looked more alert, more aware of himself, despite the film of sweat clinging to his brow. “He’s an earnest sort, a bit shy,” Erwin continued, “He might take this kind of thing to heart. Besides, I’ve got my papers thanks to you. I’m heading home,” Erwin patted the flap of the leather bag slung over his shoulder. “So there’s no need to yell at my students anymore.”

“Yeah,” Levi admitted, adding a reluctant, “I guess,” as he avoided looking at Erwin’s face. He already regretted his earlier outburst. Both with Erwin and Armin, he’d been too hasty, too forceful. He took a step back, letting the other man pass. Erwin would be fine- he looked better now at least. It made Levi wonder if he’d even been that bad earlier. He’d probably overreacted. And grabbing Armin- Levi knew it wasn’t professional; he’d let his emotions get to him. Erwin never so much as raised his voice with a student. The man must think less of him. He didn’t bother to watch as Erwin walked toward the back door.

When he reached it he paused, one hand on the doorknob. “See you tomorrow?” Erwin asked quietly, stirring Levi from his thoughts.

“Sure, if you’re feeling better,” he answered.

“Then I’ll get as much rest as I can,” Erwin assured him, his voice warm, and Levi felt his chest tighten. It wasn’t fair. He’d practically yelled at the man and here he was- acting like nothing had happened. Erwin gave a small wave and Levi raised his hand, too stiff and awkward to fully return the gesture. Erwin pushed on the metal door, grunting his shoulder into it, before stepping heavily out onto the path outside. As Levi saw him head toward the parking lot, and watched the door swing shut behind him he breathed out a response.

“You better.”


	2. Tuesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The shit hits the fan.

When the next morning came Levi saw no sign of Erwin Smith. He wasn’t out behind the school building feeding his precious strays. He wasn’t standing in the hall, chatting with his ratty friend Dok who taught civics, or sipping coffee with Zacharias over by the gym. In fact, as Levi vacuumed the English and history wings and kept an eye out while the teachers slowly trickled into their classrooms, Erwin wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Levi swung by the classroom closest to the back door one last time as the students began arriving, and when he still found no trace of his friend decided that he must not have recovered yet.

It was almost a relief, Levi admitted to himself, thinking back on Mr. Smith’s unhealthy color the afternoon before. He would probably just be doing further damage if he’d come in. Tiring himself out, probably only doing a half-assed job of teaching, maybe even getting the students worried or passing whatever he had on to them- there were plenty of reasons Levi could think of that Erwin had chosen to stay home. Hell, he’d probably do the same, Levi thought, even though he couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt under the weather or even had a mild case of the sniffles. Levi just… didn’t get sick. But other people did, and they needed rest- that’s what he’d always heard anyway.

It was easy not to worry about it when there was so much to do, and Levi set off to round up his underlings and divvy out the day’s cleaning schedule. They had a lot on their list, and he was going to teach Oluo how to clean a window without leaving streaks once and for all if it killed him.

* * *

Window washing was an art, apparently, Levi found as he stood holding the ladder while Oluo spritzed lemon-scented cleaning fluid onto the glass above.

“From top to bottom, Bozard,” Levi reminded him. “Like I showed you. Come on. We’ve got three more of these fucking things and lunch periods start soon. I don’t want to be in the cafeteria while those snot-nosed brats eat, staring at us like animals in a goddamn zoo.”

“Uh- which cloth did you use?”

“Use the rag first. The white one. Work on the dirty spots, then go over it again with the microfiber,” Levi repeated himself for what felt like the millionth time. “Don’t miss the corners of the frame either, they’re dusty as hell.”

“Right, I won’t miss a single speck. Ah, so why exactly do we use white rags?” Oluo asked, his tongue sticking out as he rubbed at an errant splatter of what looked like dried milk. God even knows how they get that shit so high up the windows, Levi mused, before remembering that he worked in a large building that held close to a thousand teenagers for the better part of the day. “Shouldn’t we use a different color?” Oluo continued, his elbow sticking out as he bore down on the dirt. “They just get grey and dirty anyway when we’re done.”

“That is exactly the point, Bozard,” Levi explained, feeling like he was talking to a very young and very stupid child. “If they’re white you can tell when they’re dirty and switch to a clean one. Besides, you can bleach white rags and I’m sure as hell not going to reuse anything for cleaning, no matter how eco-conscious this place tries to be, unless I can bleach it.”

“Oh. Yeah- of course, I knew tha- Ah- OW!” Oluo exclaimed, clapping a hand to his mouth. “I b-b-”

“Bit yourself?” Levi asked wearily, as his coworker nodded. “Well. Uh, be careful,” he offered stiffly. Sympathy wasn’t exactly his strong suit, and Levi had already learned that Oluo Bozard wasn’t great at multi-tasking. He took instruction well enough, but his habit of chatting led to distraction, which led to- a lot of self-inflicted tongue biting. It was a weird tick, but janitorial services wasn’t exactly a glamorous occupation, and Levi was happy to take whatever help he could get.

“I’m perbectly fine. No neeb to worry,” Oluo reassured him, his words thick around his injury. “Jubt got to go ober deese again. Rag firbt. Like you said. Then microfib-”

“Less talking, more cleaning, Bozard,” Levi intoned. There was no way they were going to finish the windows before the first lunch period. Levi craned his neck, looking around the room until he spied the plain white clock on the wall above the cafeteria checkout, next to the loudspeaker. The lunch staff was already setting up trays of pizza made of bread and tomato paste and swapping huge bins of re-heated frozen peas and plastic cups of canned pear into their spaces in the line. About twenty minutes, Levi read off the clock, resigning himself to the noise and chaos that were about to ensue. He’d hoped to finish before lunch started. He could have done it easily himself, and he regretted assigning Ral to sweeping the gymnasium instead. If she’d been the one here helping him they’d probably be done already.

“Mr. Ackerman!” At the high, clear voice he turned.

“Speak of the devil,” Levi muttered as Petra walked across the room, teetering with the weight of another ladder as she navigated between tables and chairs. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

“I finished in the gym, so I thought I’d help out here. Unless there’s another job you’d like me to do?” she asked sunnily, placing the ladder down in front of the next window and tugging at the legs to open its base.

“No. I’ll get that- you hold this one,” Levi indicated they should switch places with a nod and left his post holding the ladder to Petra. He wrenched the other ladder open with a screech and set it up, making sure it was level enough to use. Petra was already peering up the ladder’s rungs, watching Oluo at the window above.

“You missed a spot there,” she called, her clipped-short red hair swinging back from her chin as she raised an arm to point.

“What? Where? I didn’t miss a spot. I never miss-” Oluo twisted around, clearly flustered, as Levi tried not to roll his eyes. Having Petra here was good, but having Oluo and Petra together was not. The young man clearly had a crush on her, one that made him practically useless in her presence.

“It’s right there- see it?”

“Oh. Yes. Well.”

Their back and forth was easy for Levi to ignore, and he swiped a rag from the supplies they’d brought and shimmied up the ladder with his cleaning fluid in hand. Even if those two didn’t get much done, at least he was free now to do the job himself. Their chatter faded into the background as Levi set to work. There were more streaks and stains on the window than he’d thought. Someone must have thrown something at it, and the edges of the frame held plenty of dust. Levi knew they’d done a deep clean before the school year started, but it was amazing how quickly things got dirty again. Or maybe it wasn’t, he corrected himself, remembering all the students who were about to arrive- eating, yelling, fighting, sneezing, talking, _breathing_ for hours in the cafeteria. Actually, it was amazing the windows weren’t even filthier, he decided with a hint of distaste, focusing his energies on rubbing a grease stain of mysterious origin from the glass pane.

“Hey, Oluo-”

“What is it?”

“How come we only use white rags?”

“Well, actually-” snippets of the conversation next to him filtered through Levi’s concentration. He wiped the rag over the window, spritzed just in front of its path, and spread the cleaner out with a practiced sweeping motion. Left to right, top to bottom, he worked his way over the glass, checking the rag periodically and re-folding it to expose a clean section as needed.

“Honestly I’m glad to be out of that gym… something really weird…” Petra’s voice had dropped low enough that Levi could no longer catch every word. It didn’t bother him. He liked this better- a little bit of peace and quiet in the middle of the day, able to do his job the way it was meant to be done.

When Levi reached the bottom of the window he paused, scanning it to see if he’d missed any obvious stains or corners. He hadn’t, but he’d need to get the microfiber to wipe away any remaining soap. His lips pursed- they’d only brought one. He could borrow it from Ral and Bozard, but it might be quicker to go back to the supply closet and get another. Levi considered for a moment, staring out the window and across the road that looped around the school to the parking lots. For a moment he considered his options as he gazed blankly through the glass, barely registering the rows of oversized, grey houses in the new development beyond. They crouched in predictable lines behind a berm of too-cropped grass and a barrier of struggling pine trees. Suburban nothingness- Levi could almost look into their featureless backyards from his perch atop the ladder in the second-story cafeteria. It struck Levi as odd, not for the first time, that the cafeteria had been placed where it was, off a hallway bridging the older school building to the newer one.

“…this kid was nuts- he bit someone during gym class…”

“He _bit_ someone?”

Levi blinked. He’d caught that. Oulo had asked it, he was sure. Brought back from his brief daydream, he looked over, finally paying attention to Petra and Oluo’s hushed conversation. Leaning a little closer to the pair he kept quiet, listening.

“Yeah. That’s what Mr. Shadis and Mr. Zacharias said. Some freshman boy, they thought he was sick. Stumbling around, not really listening. Mr. Shadis was yelling at him to get open for the ball, trying to get him to run around a little, and instead he just bumped into another kid and bit him! Right on the arm!”

“That’s weird. I don’t believe it.” Oluo shook his head. He’d stopped cleaning the window. Levi frowned.

“I know, right? Mr. Shadis said he ran over to try and stop him but the guy was already running away. He hit some other kid and knocked him over, then when a third boy tried to stop him he _snarled_ at him and bit his shoulder!”

“Wait, wait,” Oluo interrupted. “You’re saying a _student_ actually bit _two other people_? With his _teeth_?”

“Well, yeah,” Petra insisted, her voice rising. “What else would he bite them with? That’s what I heard, anyway. When I was cleaning the gym. He bit two people and ran away.”

“And you believe that shit?” Oluo asked, brushing her off with a shrug as Levi watched the pair bicker. He held back a sigh. This was their favorite pastime. “You know that Shadis is a weirdo,” Oluo countered.

“Of course I know he is! But Mr. Zacharias said the same thing, and he’s not nearly as weird.”

“So? He was probably just hitting on you,” Oluo sneered. “Telling you that story to impress you. I’ll bet he made it sound like he stepped in and saved the day.”

“He did not!” Petra insisted, her voice getting higher as color rose in her cheeks. Levi shook his head. These two. “Come on, Oluo,” she whined.

“Come on what?”

“They weren’t lying. I saw it! There was blood on the floor. I cleaned it!” She took her hands off the ladder and crosser her arms, sticking out her chin as she glared angrily up at Oluo. “Are you going to call me a liar too?”

“Look, you two-” Levi shot at them as the pair froze mid-argument, the way their eyes slid away from him as good as an admission of guilt. He’d caught them both slacking off. “Maybe some kid bit two people. Maybe he just got a nosebleed.” Levi gave a small shrug. “Who knows? Doesn’t matter. Either way won’t get these windows washed any faster.”

“Yes, sir,” his underlings’ voices sounded hastily, their postures snapping straight. They watched as Levi climbed down the ladder, eyes widening when he approached. When he bent down and plucked the blue microfiber cloth from the bucket of supplies they both relaxed visibly, going back to their respective jobs. With a quit _tch_ , Levi went back up his ladder and started to buff the cleanser’s streaks from the glass.

So much for peace and quiet.

* * *

The bell for the start of sixth period had sounded on the loudspeakers twenty minutes ago, but Levi was having an increasingly hard time shaking his feeling of unease. Petra’s weird rumor had only been the start of it- and the teens who flooded the cafeteria afterwards had been buzzing with obvious unrest. Snippets of conversation, a few high-strung arguments, the anxiety pulsing in the room along with the noise and crowd set Levi’s teeth on edge and clicked on some kind of sixth sense: paranoia. Even when he’d fled the cafeteria and stowed both his ladders safely away he still couldn’t shake it.

And ever since there had been little flare-ups. He’d already cleaned up vomit near the front entrance, swept the broken glass from a busted window in the art wing, and he could have sworn he’d seen more kids in the hallways during class than usual. Going to the nurse’s office, clutching wadded up balls of the brown bathroom paper towels to their hands, or limping on a sprained ankle- the stream of minor injuries was frequent enough to pique Levi’s interest, and unusual enough to feed his growing sense of dread.

As he trundled his garbage can down the hall of the history wing, swapping out the bags full of trash in the wall-mounted bins for fresh ones, he heard a door slam. Levi looked up, toward the sound. The smack of tennis shoes on tile as someone ran down the hall was coming from up ahead, and to the left. Abandoning his task, Levi jogged toward it, more out of curiosity than reason. As he rounded the corner a gangling, long-faced teenager nearly ran him over.

“The hell?” Levi started, grabbing the boy’s collar instinctively.

“Hey! Let go!” The kid squirmed, trying to tug away from his grip. Levi frowned, fisting the fabric of the boy’s shirt harder for a second before he caught the look in the kid’s eyes-

Terror.

Levi let go, his arm falling limp to his side in shock. The boy’s head whipped around, behind him, as though something was chasing him still. When he turned back, Levi caught the same flash of fear in his eyes he’d seen before, even as the boy looked past him. He was off a second later, running up the nearby stairs, almost tripping over them as he went.

“Oi! The f- what’s going on?” Levi called after him, recovering his senses enough to bite back his curse.

“It’s a- monster!” The boy gasped as he reached the top of the stairs. “Back there -” he panted, pointing wildly down the hall as he recovered his breath.

“What?” 

“Mr. Smith- is-” a loud bang and a shrill scream sounded in the direction the boy had come from. With a strangled yelp, he fled, his footfalls echoing down the hall as Levi rushed towards the clamor. Mr. Smith- _Mr. Smith_ \- _Shit_ \- he thought, already sprinting down the hall towards the last classroom on the left. That sound- something had fallen or been knocked over, something heavy- and a girl screamed. _A monster?_ What did that mean? Before he could process any of it Levi was at the door, his fingers wrapped around its handle. Not knowing or caring what he’d face inside, thinking only of Erwin Smith, weak and unsteady the day before, of Erwin Smith facing some monster, of Erwin Smith in _danger_ , he wrenched the door open and ducked in.

With a quick glance around the room, Levi paused. A group of students huddled in the classroom’s corner, shrinking against the radiators, keeping their backs to the windows. The usually tidy ring of desks was broken, dragged hastily in front of the teens. A few other desks lay toppled onto the ground. And standing on the other side of the makeshift barrier, his back to Levi, his broad shoulders hunched up, and his arms raised awkwardly, stood Erwin Smith. Levi opened his mouth, ready to call out to his friend, but the words died on his tongue-

Erwin Smith was _growling_.

It was a low, gravelly sound that rasped in a way that made Levi’s throat tighten. Something was _very_ wrong. It was the kind of sound an animal would make, not a man. He watched as Erwin waved an arm woodenly, swiping towards the students and lurching in their direction. They pressed back further, one girl letting out a wail as a boy clambered up onto the radiator.

“Erw- Mr. Smith?” Levi ventured a step forward, holding up a hand, unsure who he was trying to calm.

Erwin turned, an ungainly action, his whole body shuffling around to face Levi. And when he saw the man’s face, Levi felt his heart almost stop. Erwin’s features were stiff. The fine, aquiline planes he’d admired for years looked frozen, arranged badly into a strange blankness. His mouth hung open, slack, a trail of drool glistening down his chiseled jaw. His eyes looked past Levi, unfocused, their brilliant blue dulled. With a groan that sounded almost wet, spit dribbled from Erwin’s lower lip and down the front of his beige sweater vest. Something was _deeply_ wrong.

“Get out of here!” one of the teens called.

“No! Help us! Pleeease!” someone else cried.

“Erwin-” Levi whispered, barely hearing them. When the man didn’t respond, he swallowed, clearing his throat, and tried again. “Mr. Smith?” he said, louder this time. Erwin’s growling stopped, and he stood quiet for a moment, unmoving. “Erwin, what the hell are you doing? You need to go home. You’re way too- sick-” Levi took another step forward, easing toward the other man. Erwin needed help. He was disoriented. He must have gotten a fever; it could be bad enough that he was hallucinating- “Erwin, stop scaring the brats. Come on.” He stepped closer, reaching out towards his friend.

“It’s no use- he can’t hear you!” a girl wailed.

“We already tried,” another girl joined her. “We tried everything, but Mr. Smith- he-”

“Shut up! He’s FINE!” Levi roared, glaring at the students as they jumped. “He’s fine. Mr. Smith is just sick. He’s got a fever-” he reasoned aloud, the hasty explanations tumbling over each other. “He’s exhausted. That’s all. I need to get him home and he’ll be- fine-”

A clatter of metal screeched across the floor, desks pushed aside as a boy broke free from the tight knot of students. He sprinted toward them, charging a desk into the back of Erwin’s legs, knocking the man forward into Levi’s chest. Erwin’s weight slammed hard against Levi and they both staggered back. The boy took his chance, pivoting to dash around the room’s perimeter. As he came within feet of them Erwin snarled and lunged with speed that should have been impossible. Instinctively, Levi grabbed for him, catching at the knit of his sweater and digging his fingers in until he felt a wad of fabric in his fist. He held steady, dragging Erwin back as the boy reached the door and ran from the room.

“Erwin! Erwin, stop,” he pleaded, fending off Erwin’s flailing arm as it flew through the air. “Cut it out. Jesus Christ. What’s wrong with you?” But Erwin wasn’t looking at him, didn’t seem to hear at all. Instead he wrenched free of Levi’s grip, then aimed a wide blow at him. Levi’s forearms came up, protecting his head in a motion he’d honed in the practice ring as his shoulders hunched. Just in time- the force of Erwin’s half-clenched fist slammed into him, knocking him into the desks. Levi’s hip and thigh banged hard into metal, the plastic desk-top jabbing sharp pain into his hip. “Fffu-” Levi hissed, bent over the desk with a wheezing breath, Erwin’s strength more than he’d anticipated. Pushing himself back up, still wondering why he’d been hit in the first place, Levi regained his footing as Erwin rounded on the students.

In a flash he was on them, too fast, too strong, heaving desks from his path in both directions. His movements were jerky, exaggerated, a marionette’s joints pulled this way and that on iron strings.

“Erwin! No!” Levi yelled, running directly for him, doing the only thing he could think of. He dove, his arms wrapping around Erwin’s waist as he tackled the other man. With a clatter they both went down into the desks, Levi’s shoulder banging hard on a metal leg, his shins bouncing off the backs of Erwin’s shoes on their way to the linoleum floor. The impact’s pain was dull, a muted thing at the back of Levi’s brain. Too preoccupied to feel it, his heart pounding in his head, Levi reached. He grabbed at Erwin’s back, frantically doing all he could to drag himself higher up the big man’s struggling bulk, or drag Erwin back toward him. But keeping his hold was almost impossible. Erwin thrashed against him, kneeing him in the thigh, wildly resisting Levi’s efforts to hold him still.

“Erwin. Stop! What are you-” he said, voice rising. Without pause, Erwin grunted, barely acknowledging his shouts as they wrestled on the ground. Getting his feet under him briefly, Erwin tried to stand, but Levi pulled him back down, forcing himself on top of the other man as they rolled. A desk skidded across the floor, pushed by their bodies, and he heard the startled cries and gasps of students. He’d almost forgot they were there. “Don’t- stop struggling. You’ll hurt someone- quit moving, Erwin,” Levi heard himself pleading even as they fought. Erwin Smith was strong, stronger than he’d expected- his height and weight gave him a clear advantage. But on the floor, rolling around, desperately grasping and kicking at each other, Erwin’s size was less of an advantage. And if there was one thing Levi knew, it was how to deal with larger opponents.

For all Erwin’s raw strength he was uncoordinated, Levi realized as he did his best to hold him. Thrashing against the ground, the desks, anything and everything- Erwin wasted plenty of energy and movement fighting against his environment as much as against Levi. He needed to focus on stopping that wildness while Erwin was distracted. Doing his best to wrap himself around the trunk of Erwin’s body, he wormed his legs in and around the other man’s. Tying them up with his own, until they could no longer kick, could only strain against him, Levi captured one of Erwin’s arms. Pinning it to the man’s side with his whole chest, he stretched as far as he could reach, trying and failing to catch the other arm. Erwin swatted at him, missed, then grabbed for his head. Levi twisted away- too slow. Erwin’s fingers found his hair, closed, and pulled. With a sharp cry, Levi jerked out of his grip, swearing out the burning pain as Erwin ripped clean a handful of hair. “Fuck! Shit! Fuck- Erwin!” he spat, welling tears prickling his eyes as his scalp stung.

The moment of distraction was enough. Erwin turned, heaving Levi’s weight to the side. He bent down and curled forward, balling himself up until he was too large for Levi to hold all at once. His arms strained, his fingers unable to close their grip. And in the moment that Levi felt his arms forced open, Erwin’s head dipped.

A snarl. A snap. A hot pressure on his forearm turned to unbearable pain in an instant.

“Ahhhhhh!” Levi yelled as the skin broke, teeth sinking in below his wrist. He swung madly at Erwin’s face, instinct taking over, no longer caring where he’d hit. His fist connected- driving hard into the man’s ear with a sickening crunch as the vice-hold of his clamped jaw on Levi’s arm popped open. “I can’t fucking- believe- fuck- FUCK!” Levi barked from between teeth clenched tight to hold back the pain. This was serious now. Erwin had bit him. He couldn’t let it go any further. If Erwin wouldn’t hear, wouldn’t listen, he had no choice. He would fight.

Levi jabbed an elbow savagely into Erwin’s side, aiming just below the ribs. Erwin jerked, a sharp breath forced from his lungs as he tensed instinctively around the blow. Levi was ready for it. He lifted himself off the floor enough to fling himself onto Erwin’s exposed side, and used his weight to push the man’s hip and shoulder down. Forcing Erwin’s face to the tile with the heel of his open hand, he was on top of the larger man once more. Avoiding the turn of Erwin’s head, his open, deadly mouth, he forced both of their bodies down, pinning one of Erwin’s arms beneath him. The other he caught when it reached back toward him, grabbing the wrist and twisting it up to meet Erwin’s back. His legs were harder to avoid, harder to stop from moving, but Levi managed that too, curling himself around the other man’s body until there was no way to resist. All he had to do now was hold on, Levi assured himself grimly.

“Get the fuck out of here,” he said, craning his neck to look at the teens. They stared. “What are you, stupid? Get out!” he yelled again when they failed to move. One girl broke away from the group, taking a first, hesitant step- and then the whole line crumbled- a wave of students rushing toward the door. Their feet pounded a loud confused fear Levi could feel through the floor. “Get out- quick!” he called to them, even as Erwin began to twist and buck beneath him. The crush of students held the door shut for a minute, too many pressing forward to open it, before it burst- flooding them out into the hall. “And close the fucking door!” Levi added as the last one slipped through, a tiny blonde who gave a frightened squeak, but slammed the door shut behind her to Levi’s relief.

Levi lay on the floor for a moment, holding Erwin fast, listening to the thunder of retreating feet, the opening and closing of doors, the brewing chaos finally erupting. His breath was still short, his heart racing in his chest. He tried to calm himself, tried to think clearly in the precious moments he had. It made no sense. Erwin acting like this. Erwin fighting him. Erwin had bit him- _bit him for Christ’s sake. It made no fucking sense._ He grappled with the thoughts that bubbled up, even as Erwin’s resistance began to flag. Erwin was always so professional, so charming- Levi had never seen him so much as raise his voice around his students. He had never thought this man capable- they were _friends_ -

Levi shook his head. There was no time to think about that- not with the students on the loose. They’d seen Erwin. They’d already decided he was a monster. They’d tell someone. Everyone. No, Levi couldn’t waste time now. He had to get them both out of here. As Erwin groaned beneath him, Levi pushed his shoulder into the larger man’s back, forcing him hard against the floor. His mouth set into a grim line, he twisted Erwin’s arm up higher, tugging until the other man barked an angry snarl, lifting his hips to relieve the pain. The moment he rose up Levi’s hand shot under him, fumbling until it found the metal of his belt buckle. He worked it open blindly as best he could, hissing when Erwin’s hips crashed back down to the floor, smashing the buckle into the back of his hand. “Fuck- Erwin- fuck- come on, don’t be this way-” Levi complained to deaf ears, wrenching Erwin’s arm up once again with a vicious twist. The gasp and yelp from the man under him made him wince in a way even the throbbing bite below his wrist had failed to do as he finished undoing the other man’s belt.

He pulled it from its loops with a jerk and threaded the leather through the crook of Erwin’s elbow. Shifting his weight off Erwin’s back as he sat up on the man’s waist, Levi poised himself. The arm trapped below him now freed, Erwin reached for him, just like Levi had hoped. His hand shot out, like the quick lightning jabs he’d practiced. His fingers wrapping tight around Erwin’s thick wrist. Pulling it behind his back to join its mate, Levi lashed the belt around Erwin’s forearms, securing them with a tight double knot. His friend momentarily subdued, Levi cast a hurried glance around the classroom. He wasn’t done. He couldn’t sit on Erwin forever. He needed something- anything- to tie Erwin’s legs, and he needed it quick. Desks lay strewn around, many lying on their sides or even upturned- notebooks and pens had fallen onto the floor and gotten pushed into the corners, their open pages bent and trampled. Levi frowned as he surveyed the room. Books, a map, plenty of chalk, more books- but there was nothing-

Levi paused when he saw it. On the coat tree behind Erwin’s desk hung a brown sport jacket. Woolen hounds tooth, its tailored lines draped elegantly over its hanger. Levi recognized it. It was the same jacket Erwin had lent him the other morning. Ignoring the ache in his chest, he took a shuddering breath. It would have to do. Placing both hands flat on Erwin’s shoulders he pushed the man down against the tile, using the force to hop quickly off his back. In the seconds it bought him Levi sprinted behind Erwin’s desk and grabbed the jacket. It caught against the hanger. The coat tree dipped precariously toward him as he pulled. “Shit,” Levi muttered under his breath, but he didn’t have time to catch it. As he yanked the jacket off the metal stand came down. Levi jumped back, not even blinking when it crashed to the floor, inches from his foot. It bounced and skidded, and before it came to rest he was already darting back to Erwin’s side. The man was writhing on the ground, kicking and groaning. As Levi drew up to him his head turned, teeth clacking a warning as he bent to reach. But Levi knew better than to get near his head; he circled Erwin’s legs, keeping his distance and gauging his timing. In between wild jerks and kicks he pounced, wrapping the jacket fast around Erwin’s shins, winding it as tight as he could before he knotted the arms together.

It was a shame, Levi thought briefly as he collected himself and stood, to abuse such a nice jacket. The sleeves would probably be stretched, the fine lining irreparably creased. Levi sighed, letting out a soft _tch_ , as he allowed himself a moment to catch his breath. He stared down at Erwin. For all his size, all his muscle, he looked almost sad, lying there on the floor of his own classroom. Even the memory of their fight, of being slammed into the desks, of Erwin’s teeth sinking into his forearm- it didn’t make Levi angry. Instead, as he rubbed the smarting bite mark, he felt a pang of sadness. Erwin was a man he respected. He was a good man, a good teacher. He was a good friend. Erwin was- Levi sighed again. Erwin was bound and growling on the floor, a stream of drool and blood dribbling from his lower lip. _My blood_ , he realized with a rueful shake of his head.

Levi stepped over Erwin’s legs on his way to the door. He reached for the handle and felt cool metal under his fingertips. He paused, looking over his shoulder for a moment, his gaze falling on Erwin. Their eyes met, and Levi’s breath caught fast in his throat. He opened his mouth, staring. Just as blue, just as clear as ever- Erwin looked straight up at him. “E-Erwin?” Levi stammered, a bubble of hope rising in his chest.

“GrrRrrrARrrgh!” Erwin growled back, fire flashing in his blue eyes, his neck jerking awkwardly to the side, breaking their fragile connection. The bubble of hope burst, and Levi deflated, his fingers turning to claws where they gripped the door handle. Without a second look back he jammed the handle down, pulled it open wide, and stepped into the hall. Sparing a quick look around, Levi saw he was alone, at least for now. The stampede of fleeing students had faded, though he could hear shouts and footsteps muffled by distance. He didn’t have much time. Levi fished by the back belt loops of his coveralls for his heavy keyring. He flicked through the indistinguishable keys with practiced patience, the tremor in his hand almost controlled as he inserted the key he was looking for into its hole and locked the door behind him.

His janitorial closet was just a few hallways away, and Levi set off at a clipped walk. His head turned from side to side, taking in each door he passed, trying to glimpse the students and teachers inside, ever-vigilant. One was empty, another looked normal, and Levi relaxed slightly. The commotion he’d caused had gone mostly unnoticed, but the temporary stillness in the halls felt like a low pressure front- the calm before the storm. He stole down the hall and around the corner, passing by the boys and girls bathrooms uneventfully. As he turned right at the corner, taking a short flight of stairs two at a time, he heard a loud crash- glass shattering. Levi paused on the top step, gauging the sound’s source. It had come from one of the rooms further down, and as he drew closer he began to make out muffled shouts. _Shit_ , he thought, picking his pace up from a trot to a run. Before he could reach the door it opened, a confused line of students dribbling out.

“Did you see that? There’s no _way_ he didn’t get hurt jumping out that window!”

“Yeah, and it looked like he was- drooling?” Levi heard a boy with hair buzzed so short it almost looked shaved whisper loudly to another.

“Gross!” the girl pushing out the door just behind them shivered, popping a cracker in her mouth as her brown ponytail flicked behind her.

“Super gross,” the boy agreed, then made a disgusted face at her. “Sasha, are you seriously eating right now? I can still smell Bert’s technicolor belch and you’re snacking?”

“What? I’m hungry,” the girl called Sasha grumbled as the rest of the class filed out of the room, passing in front of Levi without so much as a glance in his direction. He could hear the teacher within urging them out the door.

“Go on, keep moving, we can’t stay in the room- not with Bertolt’s vomit all over the desks. Sasha? Connie? Take Franz to the nurse. Bertolt, clean yourself up in the bathroom- go get your gym shirt. The rest of you, go to… study hall or something.” Levi’s ears perked up at the woman’s mention of vomit. If that was what a technicolor belch was, he wanted nothing to do with it- not now. Beyond the door, Levi caught a glimpse of the unfortunate ‘Bert’ inside- a tall, gangly teen with black hair and a long, solemn face. The students who’d been called groaned and turned back to get their classmate, and Levi wasted no time ducking around the perimeter of the growing crowd of disoriented teens to make a quiet getaway. Stepping lightly on his feet, moving neither too fast nor too slow, Levi power-walked down the hall, his gaze trained straight ahead. He moved with purpose, trying hard to keep himself from rushing, the sense of urgency building with each step.

It wasn’t just Erwin. There were others. He knew that now. One of them had jumped out the window- a student, probably. His steps sped up, no matter how controlled he tried to make them. The rumors. The unease. And now he’d seen it- fought it. This wasn’t a storm that blew in on the winds from some unknown place. This was more like a tide, rising up. The thing that was wrong was all around him. Reaching the closet, he flattened himself to the wall next to it, hiding behind where the lockers stuck out. Only when he brought the key up to the door did he realize his body was shaking. Metal jingled off his keyring, the point of the key in his hand jittering and skidding awkwardly against the keyhole. The jagged teeth caught, and Levi jammed the key in with too much force, opening the door with a hasty, “Shit,” before slipping in.

Once inside he moved on autopilot. Coiled up on the top of a utility shelf was a length of braided nylon rope. Levi didn’t bother to pull the stepping stool over to retrieve it. Instead he jumped, reaching high enough with the very fingertips of his right hand to hook a strand and pull the bundle down. He caught it easily, fitting his arm through the center and draping its length over his shoulder. From his matte black powder-finished toolbox he opened one of the middle drawers. The rolls of tape were arranged by size and type, and Levi selected a thick roll of silvery duct tape from among them. The last item he needed came from the top of the toolbox. Levi palmed the box cutter in its metal sheath, and slipped it into his back pocket. His supplies collected, his mind made up, Levi stared at the plain back of the closet’s closed door, collecting himself.

Sometime in the past one of his predecessors had hung a poster on it- a grey kitten clinging to a branch, the words ‘Hang in There!’ in groovy blue letters straight out of the 70s cheerfully proclaimed above it. Levi shook his head, a wry grimace tugging at his upper lip. There was no way to know what he’d face when he opened that door- he needed all the encouragement he could get. Levi pulled in a deep, shuddering breath, and turned the handle.

As soon as the door swung open, Levi was out. Into the hall- a large group of yelling, pushing, confused teenagers blocking his path. There were more than before, from other rooms as well, Levi realized as he darted around them. The teacher must have notified the rest. Weaving by a pair of complaining boys, he flattened himself against the lockers, doing his best to get by without being noticed. The students were still milling around, moving slowly in the opposite direction, and as the loudspeakers above crackled to life, Levi learned why.

 _Chssksh-_ the static sounded- “This is an emergency.” The fire alarms blared to life as if on cue. “Everyone… evacuate the building. All students, all teachers- everyone is to… by the nearest exit. Assemble in your…” The din of alarms, their ear-splitting, constant buzz almost deafening, made it difficult to hear the announcement. As the PA cut out, crackling static through old speakers, Levi didn’t wait to hear the rest. A girl screamed somewhere down the hall. It was the final spark needed to light so much dry tinder.

And all hell broke loose.

Suddenly everyone was moving, jostling him, pushing him back into the metal of the lockers. Fire alarms blared from the walls, bright white strobes flashed, and students’ voices rose up around him. Doors slammed open up and down the hall, streams of people flooding from them. They hurried and shouted, the sound of rushing feet grew. People were knocked into each other, bounced off of rattling lockers, chaos erupting in the hallway. But Levi stood his ground, even as the wave crashed around him. He pushed against it, through the throng. Forcing his way through the crowd of panicked students, he heard the PA spitting static above. “…Repeat… emergency… evacuate immediately… police are arriving shortly…” a few garbled phrases formed from the din, as Levi broke into a run.

He elbowed his way by, fighting down the stairs, trying not to stumble as he dodged feet and arms. A few kids shouted at him, insults or instructions, he couldn’t be sure. The alarms were too loud, the volume pounding in his head to the same rhythm as the flashing lights. As he muscled his way to the corner, he ran into a girl who pushed him back. Tall and dark-haired, a red scarf wrapped around her neck, she gave him a dirty look but nothing more, too intent on dragging a brown-haired boy along behind her to care. As Levi saw the boy’s face- skin pale, brow sweaty, his green eyes wild- the teen stumbled, drawing Levi’s gaze down. There was a dark stain- blood- soaking through his jeans, a bitten semi-ring of oozing punctures visible through a tear at the knee. Levi shuddered and turned away, breaking into a sprint.

He made it past the bathrooms before the students thinned around him. By the time he got to the history wing there was only the occasional straggler to duck around. As Levi’s feet pounded against the tile, urgency beating in his chest, the last classroom on the left drew near. Almost there, he slowed down to a jog, catching his breath as he fumbled with the keys. It took longer this time to locate the right one, to fit it into the lock, and to turn it against the tumblers- the alarm’s insistent blare leaving hardly any room for thought. The door to Smith’s classroom finally opened, Levi set grimly to his task.

Erwin had gotten onto his side and wormed himself between the legs of the desks. As Levi grabbed hold of his shins to drag him out he twisted and growled, the sound deep in his throat. Levi ignored it, instead dropping his coil of rope onto the ground and measuring some out with the span of his arms. He worked quickly, wrapping the rope around Erwin’s arms, tying them fast together. He looped a length around Erwin’s chest with some difficulty, having to roll the man over to wind it around his body. Sawing the rope from the rest of the coil with the box cutter, he left about ten feet free. Erwin’s protests weren’t as strong as they’d been before, his manic energy had somewhat subsided, and Levi had hope that his idea to keep Erwin tethered by the rope around his chest would work. If it did it would be much easier than dragging or carrying Erwin everywhere on his own, especially when they needed to move fast. Just as insurance, Levi knotted more rope around the man’s ankles, giving him enough length to walk or jog but not enough to run.

With the new knots tested and firmly in place, Levi stripped off his earlier attempts, undoing Erwin’s belt from around his arms before carefully extracting the brown jacket he had used to keep Erwin’s legs tied. “Sorry I made such a mess of it,” he murmured, smoothing the creases from the soft wool. “Hope it’s not ruined…” he apologized quietly, not knowing what else to say. It probably didn’t matter anyway, he reasoned with himself, as he looked over at Erwin’s face. His head came up, shoulders and neck twisting, a low growl pulling his lips back from his teeth. The snarl contorted Erwin’s handsome features into something unrecognizable. Something wild, something mean- something that was not the man he knew.

Levi sighed. It couldn’t be helped. Without looking the other man in the eye he found the end of his roll of tape. The sound it made as he peeled it back was harsh, reminding him of how reluctant he felt to do this even as Erwin’s head bobbed after it, his teeth snapping. “Arrrgghhhhr aaaaahh!” he rumbled, lifting his chin. Levi tore the strip of tape free and slapped the end of it to Erwin’s cheek, jamming his jaw up to close his mouth before smoothing the rest over his lips. From behind the tape Erwin made a startled noise, his mouth working visibly for a few seconds as it tried to open. But the duct tape stayed in place, its dull silver-grey surface rising and warping- still holding fast.

As Levi stood, he quickly assessed his options. Erwin was tied up. Even if he walked they wouldn’t get far, and they wouldn’t be fast. The halls were a mess. It was complete chaos. Everyone had been told to evacuate and the Police were coming. They might be here already, and his hope that this was an isolated incident was also completely dead. It didn’t seem like they could leave with all the students. Out there, there was no way to tell if anyone they ran into was friend or foe, and judging by the students’ reactions earlier Levi didn’t want to find out. What they needed was time, a place to hide, a place to think. Levi pursed his lips. It wasn’t ideal, but he only knew of one place like that: his janitor’s closet. It was close. He’d just been there and checked- everything was in order. Even better, there were only three people with access to it, and if Petra or Oluo disturbed them Levi felt confident he could handle things.

His plan didn’t feel very good, but there was nothing more Levi could think to do. He bent down to retrieve his things and get Erwin up off the floor. It was a struggle, getting the other man’s feet underneath him and hauling him up, his balance hindered by the way his arms were tied. But Levi managed it, eventually, with plenty of grunting and straining as he overcame Erwin’s weight and bulk. As an afterthought Levi picked up the sport jacket too, unable to bear the sight of it lying on the dirty floor. He stuffed it under his arm and grabbed the end of the rope lead attached to Erwin’s torso. Now that the other man was standing, getting him to follow was easier than Levi had thought. Erwin seemed drawn to him, shuffling clumsily after his steps and trailing him to the door. He didn’t even have to pull or tug, except to get Erwin out of the doorway and into the hall.

Once outside they moved quicker, or as quickly as they could without Erwin tripping over the rope between his ankles. Levi had to catch him twice, grabbing him by the shoulders or around the middle to keep him from falling. They made their awkward way down the deserted hall and past the bathrooms. It was quieter, with only the occasional yell or sound of distant footsteps, even with the fire alarm’s constant, mindless tone. At the corner they paused, but Levi saw no one, and they made it up the small flight of stairs without incident. No one passed them. No one stopped them, and Levi was glad he didn’t see a single soul as they made their way to his closet.

The door open, he pushed Erwin hastily in and locked it behind them.

Levi dropped the end of the rope and left Erwin to mill about as he wished while he stored the few things he’d brought with him back in their places. The jacket he hung up next to his spare set of coveralls and an assortment of his favorite brooms. That done, Levi wandered to the back of the closet. It was cramped, full of buckets and supplies. Things for mopping, dusting, vacuuming, and cleaning every one of the varied surfaces and rooms in the entire school were crammed into every available space. Despite the volume and variety of cleaning implements, their order and condition was immaculate. That left little room for two people, but if he moved the mop bucket and shifted the shelves he could clear an area in the corner.

Erwin watched as Levi grabbed hold of the shelves and pulled hard. His forearms flexed, his shoulders straining. He grunted, tugging against them, sneakers beginning to slip against the floor as the shelves stood still. With a jerk of his shoulders, Levi put his back into the effort and the shelves budged from their resting place with a metallic screech. His jaw clenched, Levi changed tactics, forcing them side to side and pulling as they inched toward him. “Fuck, you could help you know,” Levi shot over at Erwin’s motionless form. The grunt and vague turn of a head he received as response drew a sharp _tsk_ from between Levi’s teeth as he dragged the shelves across the floor. A few feet was more than enough to make his arms burn, and when he’d gotten them that far Levi flopped down in the space he’d cleared in the corner.

“Come on, Erwin. Get over here,” he waved at the other man, hardly looking as he motioned to the floor beside him.

“Mmmmmmmr,” Erwin said.

“Or don’t. Whatever,” Levi shrugged, too exhausted to care. As he rested his back against the wall Erwin shuffled over anyway and joined him heavily on the floor. “Huh. Alright then,” Levi commented, “guess you’re tired too.” Erwin didn’t respond, but he didn’t try to snap at Levi from behind his tape either. It was good enough. There’d already been more than enough excitement for one afternoon, and as Levi went over the day in his head, still puzzling over how quickly everything had happened, they settled in to a quiet, if uneasy, truce. 

There was nothing left to do but wait.

* * *

In the late evening the fire alarms finally turned off, but their flashing lights continued. Levi could see them under the door, blinking in short spurts. He’d turned the closet lights off before it got dark, not wanting to draw any attention to their hiding place, and the day’s events were finally beginning to solidify for him. It no longer felt like a bewildering nightmare. The proof of everything sat right next to him.

No longer groaning and restless like he’d been earlier, no longer needing to be shushed or held still so as not to give away or destroy their hiding place, Erwin sat against the wall. He’d dozed off there, long legs splayed out in front of him, taking up all the extra space and forcing Levi to sit with his knees pulled up, wedged into the corner between the shelves and Erwin’s body. His back was bent, his head hung forward, and Levi found himself admiring the fall of golden bangs over his forehead. Levi couldn’t see their color well in the dark- only flashes and hints, brief flickers of the emergency light that stole under the door and made Levi’s imagination fill in the rest for him. They were messy now, messier than Mr. Smith would ever let them get, and Levi found himself leaning forward and reaching out, tentatively, before he could stop himself.

As the blond hairs brushed against the side of his finger, softer and finer than he’d even imagined, he almost pulled his hand back. He shouldn’t be- or should he? Levi didn’t know. There was no way _to_ know what he should and shouldn’t do anymore. Erwin was- well, he was- Levi hesitated. He reached out, pushing Erwin’s bangs away from his forehead, smoothing the flyaways to the side. His fingers carded lightly through Erwin’s hair, putting the strands that had come free from Erwin’s usually tidy style back into place. And despite how carefully he did it, how deliberately he kept his fingers away from Erwin’s scalp, the man next to him seemed to respond to the touch. He sighed, his weight shifting as he leaned to the side, his shoulder pressing against Levi, the weight of his head rolling onto Levi’s shoulder.

“Mmmeemy, mmeeemy-” the words were muffled, muddied and garbled by tape, but Levi’s body stiffened. “…mmee… mmyy-” Maybe it was his imagination, but Levi could have sworn he’d heard his name. With shaking hands he reached up to Erwin’s face. He peeled the tape away, easing it free from Erwin’s skin, uncovering his mouth inch by inch until he could see Erwin’s lips.

In the flashes of light from under the door he could just barely make out their weak movement.

 _Levi. Levi._ _Le- vi-_

Erwin’s voice was creaky, halting, a rasping whisper that was barely a voice at all. It was so quiet that Levi had to put his ear almost to Erwin’s lips to hear it. Even then he could barely make it out above the pounding of his heart. But he was sure he had- he had heard it. His name, coming from Erwin’s mouth. He knew that’s what he’d had said. It had to be.

Levi stared at the sleeping man, watching his lips for any motion, willing him to speak again. But Erwin had gone silent, his head heavy on Levi’s shoulder, his weight beginning to press uncomfortably on Levi’s side.

Maybe he wasn’t a monster, maybe he was just Erwin, Levi thought. Maybe he was just a very sick man who needed rest, needed medicine. Maybe when they woke up the next morning he’d ask Levi for some water, and apologize for worrying him, and make everything better with that handsome, winning smile of his. That was it. That had to be. Erwin was just very sick. There was no way- not after he’d spoken Levi’s own name.

There was no way-

Lifting his hand, Levi pressed the back of it to Erwin’s forehead, expecting, hoping perhaps, to feel the heat of fever in his brow.

What he felt instead was nothing but cold. No heat. No pulse. Not even a glimmer of warmth from Erwin’s skin.

Levi couldn’t bear it. He drew his hand away, as though it had hurt him, a pang of real pain throbbing deep in his chest.

There was no way- he had _heard_ it-

But.

Erwin’s lips remained still. No movement, no breath issued from them.

“Erwin?” he whispered. There was no response. “Erwin, I’m here. It’s okay,” Levi tried again, willing his friend to speak. “I heard you,” he reassured, “I know you’re- you’re in there…” Levi trailed off, unsure how to coax more from the man resting heavily against him.

“I know-” his words caught in his throat. It was hard to speak around the lump they made. “Erwin. Please. Speak to me. I need… to know.” Levi stumbled through his sentences, not sure where they were leading. “I need to know that you’re- okay. You’re sick. You’re… Erwin,” he finished, hoping desperately for something, anything, any hint from his companion at all.

When Erwin gave a soft groan, Levi nearly choked, emotion welling up thick in his throat. But in the silence that followed, Erwin’s only response was a shiny drop of spittle that gathered at the corner of his lips, growing from mere wetness to a thin stream of drool down his chin as the lights blinked coldly under the door. With a heavy heart Levi pulled the sleeve of his coveralls over his hand and wiped it away, smoothing the tape back over Erwin’s lips.


End file.
